LI News and Vendor Fair 2009 Lookback

With Many Thanks to Erin Smith and Gluten-Free Fun

Thanks to Erin Smith at Gluten-Free Fun, I see that the 2009 L. Lodico Walk for Celiac Disease (LLWCD) scored television coverage on NY1.

Also thanks to Gluten-Free Fun, I see that Long Island gluten-free bakery Joan's GF Great Bakes (JGFGB) got very positive coverage in The Washington Post.

And thanks to the message board of the New York City Celiac Disease Meetup Group (NYCCDMG)—which Erin organizes—I see that Joan herself will be at Plainview, Long Island's Get Healthy America (GHA) (148 Manetto Hill Road, 516-931-1900) on Saturday, June 13, 2009.

But Gluten-Free Fun also informs me that before then—tomorrow evening from 7 to 8, actually—Michael Thorn will give a talk about celiac disease at the Wild by Nature (WBN) store in Huntington, Long Island. Having met Michael and heard him interviewed on the radio (here's a recent talk), I think this sounds like a very worthwhile event, especially for GF newbies on LI.

I most recently saw Michael at the 2009 Gluten-Free Vendor Fair on Long Island (GFVFLI). Amidst all the hubbub, I savored the yummy strawberry cake samples from Get Healthy America...


















...and enjoyed talking with Michael and special guest Cynthia Kupper of GIG (below). Don't blame them if they don't seem especially cheery—they were trying to be patient with my photographic skills—or lack thereof!

















Besides the strawberry cake and bagels and English muffins from Joan's GF Great Bakes, my other LI favorites at the fair included the artisanal chocolates from Centerport's Azure Chocolate, crusty bread from Everybody Eats of Brooklyn, cannoli from Mama's of Oakdale, desserts from Buena Sera Restaurant/The Gluten-Free Solution, and the BBQ offerings from Northport's Smokin' Sloe's.

Photos: David Marc Fischer

S'MAC Sale!

15% Off on February 9-12, 2009


















Double-plus good news! GFRAP restaurant S'MAC is offering 15% off its menu items Monday through Thursday of this week! And it's opened a takeout/delivery storefront next to its East Village location! The former promotes the latter, which should help speed up the service considerably.

Remember: It doesn't hurt to double-check with the staff to make sure that you've gotten the gluten-free noodles in your order.

Also, GFRAP really really really wants your feedback, positive as well as negative.

Thanks to Erin of the New York City Celiac Disease Meetup Group (NYCCDMG) and Gluten-Free Fun for spreading the news!

Photo: David S'MARC Fischer

S'MAC ATTACK!

The East Village mac-and-cheese haven S'MAC will sell its gluten-free Nosh All-American ("a tasty blend of American & Cheddar cheeses") for $2 (it's normally $5.75) on Tuesday, June 24, 2008, as part of its second birthday celebration!

Happy Birthday, S'MAC—and thanks to Erin at Gluten-Free Fun (and the New York City Celiac Disease Meetup Group (NYCCDMG)) for spreading the inflation-beating word.

Specify that you want the gluten-free version (the regular is $1) and remember: The breadcrumbs at S'MAC are always gluten-free (made from corn flakes)!

LILLI AND LOO: A META-REVIEW!

As you might already know, the Asian restaurant Lilli and Loo recently joined the roster of the Gluten-Free Restaurant Awareness Program (GFRAP) on the advanced level, which means that the restaurant receives "intensive assistance in menu review by qualified nutrition experts" along with GFRAP's basic "complete packet of education and training materials, a review of the restaurant’s GF menus, and the assistance of a Resource Person to answer questions." So far Lilli and Loo is the only non-chain restaurant in Manhattan on that level, and I can say from my own experience that this eaterie is worth multiple visits.

When the restaurant first came up with its gluten-free menu, Maggie and her associates offered a banquet's share of diverse options, but since then the menu has expanded to include even more choices, including one of my favorite types of Asian cuisine.

Many items on the restaurant's evolving gluten-free menu have already been favorably received by A Gluten-Free Guide, CeliacChicks, Gluten-Free Fun, and Allergic Girl. Probably the stand-out item has been the cool and refreshing Saigon Spring Roll appetizer. A fun new addition is the Rock Shrimp Tempura. Not to be confused with classic tempura, which is known for the lightness of its batter, this appetizer is more like an outstanding version of popcorn shrimp, presenting the restaurant's whole tasty shrimp within a thick, crunchy coating enlivened by a drizzled mayonnaise sauce. Filling out the appetizer options are edamame (steamed salted soy beans) and Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps, which involve wrapping lettuce around a mix of chicken, pineapple, and vegetables.

In the early online coverage of Lilli and Loo, the glazed Borneo Orange Chicken came across as a favorite—and I like it too. But oh, how excited I was to find crispy Thai Fish added to the menu! As a longtime fan of various versions of Asian whole fish, I'm especially fond of the crispy variations. At Lilli and Loo, it's served in a two-way style, with numerous separated and boneless chunks atop the rest of the fish, which is still on the bone. So, if you're not used to eating this dish, you can enjoy the separated pieces and also learn to pull the rest of the tasty, moist meat away while leaving most or all of the bones behind. And don't be afraid to poke around the cheeks in the fish head for the tiny, subtly flavorful morsels you might find there. (Note that when ordering this type of dish, it can be helpful to talk with the waitperson about how many of you intend to share it, to make sure that you'll get the right size of fish.)

I'm still exploring the other items on the menu, looking for ways to mix-and-match cuisines or just commit to one type throughout. I've been pleased by the mild Asian Chicken Curry and Masaman Chicken Curry as well as the Pomegranate Teriyaki Grilled Chicken, although I was sorry to find that it wasn't glazed in the way I associate with teriyaki cooking. I also enjoyed the change-of-pace represented by the sweet Shrimp with Fresh Mango (again with tasty shrimp, right), which could function almost like a dessert in a meal shared by several people (an ideal way to enjoy the fare at Lilli and Loo).

And then there are the Happy Hours. It's been tough work, but for your sake, dear reader, I've been making my way through the Lilli and Loo cocktail menu. My favorite so far is the lychee martini.

As CeliacChick Kelly and Allergic Girl Sloane have noted, Maggie and the rest of the gang at Lilli and Loo are eager to please and willing to accommodate other dietary requests. Just try to give them a "heads up" to ease matters for everyone concerned. And, speaking of heads, I agree with Kelly that the loo at Lilli and Loo is worth a visit, too. (Thanks to Ben Cappel for coming up with the "loo" angle.)

Something else that's exciting about Lilli and Loo is that it is just one of the restaurants and food enterprises in which Vanessa Phillips and her family have a hand. From talking with Vanessa's father, I understand that the family hopes to serve gluten-free customers in various NYC locations, including the Upper West Side. Having GFRAP restaurants there would certainly help to complement the string along the Upper East Side. CeliacChick Kelly has been covering some of the most recent developments.

GLUTEN-FREE TV: UNWRAPPED TO FEATURE ENJOY LIFE FOODS


















Erin at Gluten-Free Fun notes (with a good measure of excitement) that the Food Network's Unwrapped will air an episode featuring Enjoy Life foods at the following times:

Monday August 6 9 pm Eastern
Tuesday August 7 12 noon Eastern
Friday August 17 at 11:30 pm Eastern
Saturday August 18 2:30 am Eastern

Photo: David Marc Fischer

GAWKER SNARK: NOT JUST FOR THE JEWS!

Perhaps you've heard of Gawker, the snarky gossip and media news site that is one of the most heavily visited blogs in the world. Right now it's ranked at 28 on Technorati's list of Popular Blogs—ahead of Hot Air (34) by Michelle Malkin but behind Seth's Blog (11) by the guy who ran off with my high school prom date. (I kid you not.)

Anyway, about that snarky thing: The writers at Gawker like to entertain their readers by invoking stereotypes of groups such as the Jews. Predictably, some of The Chosen have started whining about this sort of thing, but Gawker has repeatedly explained that it was merely being hilariously funny! After all, what could be more comedic than echoing al Qaeda again and again on the Internets?

And it's not like Gawker only mocks the Jews. Lately there's also been some riotous polling over whether Wesleyan or Sarah Lawrence is the most obnoxious liberal arts college ever. OMGLOL!!! And, just yesterday, Gawker ventured into new snark territory in a post alluding to celiac disease. Oh, what will they think of next?

Here's the Gawker item, which came to my attention thanks to Erin of Gluten-Free Fun and the New York City Celiac Disease Meetup Group. The boldface is mine!

Why There Are No Fat People At Wesleyan

A few weeks ago, we would've titled this post "Why There Are No Fat People At Oberlin," but a new day has dawned. Anyway! A study came out the other day about fat kids, and guess what? They're less likely to go to college. Not only that, but if they're at a school surrounded by thin kids, they're even less likely to go to college!

Obese girls were only half as likely as non-obese girls to go to college after high school, and were even less likely to enter college if they went to a high school where few other students were overweight, says [University of Texas at Austin sociologist Robert] Crosnoe. But obese girls who went to high school with a sizable overweight population—where heavy girls represented about 20% of the student body -- had normal odds of attending college. "The more it makes you stand out from the crowd, the worse it is," says Crosnoe.

Since most Wesleyan feeder schools are either private or one of those rich suburban high schools where the girls all happen to have celiac disease, and the fat girls are treated like Martha Dumptruck, it's not surprising that the campus would look like an Undereaters Anonymous retreat. Skinny jeans, people! There's a reason they don't come in big sizes!

So where does this celiac reference come from? Is it based on reality or just deeply ignorant...I mean, a brilliant invention cooked up by Gawker?

Whatever the answers might be, I was impressed by a few of the responses. Wrote Jane T:

I'm not sure why you associate celiac disease with being underweight? A recent study of 371 people with celiac disease found that only 5% were underweight, 57% were normal, and 39% were overweight (13% of all patients were in the obese range) at diagnosis. To make matters worse, 81% of them gained weight on the gluten free diet! Producers of gluten free foods seem to use sugar to disguise the taste of their foods. A slice of gluten free bread is usually about half the size of a normal slice of bread with similar or more calories.

It may not seem an important issue but many people are not diagnosed because of this misconception. Even doctors are telling patients that it's not worth testing for celiac because they are too fat so maybe I shouldn't be surprised that you think the same! Untreated celiac disease puts them at increased risk of anemia, osteoporosis and various cancers.

You seem to be implying that people with celiac are following a fad diet in order to lose weight and I know there are plenty of these around. But I hardly think the UK National Health Service would supply gluten free food on prescription and spend money on biopsies annual blood tests and appointments with specialists for a fad diet.

This type of attitude also makes life difficult for people with celiac disease when they eat out. It's difficult to trust assurances that there is no gluten in a meal when it's obvious the waitress thinks you just on a fad diet and it won't make any difference if there's just a bit of gluten in there. Unfortunately this will often be enough to confine many celiacs to the bathroom for a day or so (though not all have an obvious reaction) and the damage caused to the intestines will take between 3 weeks to 3 months to heal.

Wrote CeliacChick Kelly Courson:

Thanks for mentioning celiac disease, Gawker!! We need all the media attention we can get to raise awareness for the nearly 3 million (1 out of 100)Americans that are undiagnosed!
I find it interesting you link celiac disease to suburban rich girls. Could it be that they can afford good health care to finally get a proper diagnosis? Hmmm...

And here's the word from Teenage Witch:

god damn. i'm living the fucking american dream! i'm gluten intolerant (celiac), over-weight, upper middle class, went to private high-school AND liberal arts college and still gettin laid.

Ooooo...fighting snark with snark!

But seriously: that study cited by Jane T? Entitled "Overweight in Celiac Disease: Prevalence, Clinical Characteristics, and Effect of a Gluten-Free Diet" and published in The American Journal of Gastroenterology in 2006, it can be found over at Medscape, which might require registration. The conclusion states:

Few celiac patients are underweight at diagnosis and a large minority is overweight; these are less likely to present with classical features of diarrhea and reduced hemoglobin. Failed or delayed diagnosis of celiac disease may reflect lack of awareness of this large subgroup. The increase in weight of already overweight patients after dietary gluten exclusion is a potential cause of morbidity, and the gluten-free diet as conventionally prescribed needs to be modified accordingly.

The study highlights include the following:

A minority of celiac patients present with classic symptoms due to malabsorption.

Of 371 celiac patients, only 4% were underweight while 39% were overweight.

Overweight patients are less likely to be female, report diarrhea, or have high grade villous atrophy, and have higher hemoglobin concentrations and bone mineral densities.

A majority of overweight patients gain further weight with gluten exclusion.

To avoid delay or failure of diagnosis, physicians need to be aware that celiac patients often have high BMI, with milder clinical presentations.

Dietary advice needs tailoring to facilitate weight loss and prevent further gain in overweight patients.

DID YOU KNOW? Gawker has touched on gluten-free matters before. Back in the day (a.k.a. February 2006), Gawker referred readers to this item by Gluten-Free Girl.

ARTICLE: NEW YORK TIMES

Today's New York Times includes substantial coverage of gluten-free dining in New York City—but if you're reading this, there's a good chance you already know that, because the main article mentions this very blog (among other blogs for the gluten-free in NYC).

The blog nods from the Times can be found in "For the Gluten-Averse, a Menu That Works" by Jennifer Romolini. Her article focuses largely on the Greenwich Village restaurant Risotteria but also offers an unusually nuanced overview of what it's like to dine gluten-free in the city: potential relationship issues, the communal feeling among patrons at Risotteria, the recent addition of Everybody Eats bread at Bistango, Catherine's "crouton surprise" found at the bottom of a salad, and the growing number of sympathetic restaurants in the Big Apple (although, as Dr. Peter Green notes, "In a city as big as New York, for there to be so few safe restaurants, that’s just really bad").

The coverage [noted this morning on NY1's "In the Papers" media roundup] extends to the gluten-free cooking experimentation of Risotteria's Joseph Pace, then takes a big, important step in sharing a version of Risotteria's breadstick recipe—that's what I call generous!

The Times package also includes "Especially for the Sensitive Diner", a list of city restaurants with gluten-free dishes; most of the eateries participate in the invaluable Gluten-Free Restaurant Awareness Program (GFRAP) and appear on the Gluten-Free NYC Dining Map.

After my first reading of the coverage, I do have one quibble: The main article states that gluten "lurks in soy sauce, brewer’s yeast, bourbon, vegetable starch, vinegars, salad dressings, processed cheeses and some spices." Bourbon and vinegars should not have been included on the list. [Clarification: Malt vinegar is widely recognized as being forbidden on a gluten-free diet. However, research so far (including reports from myth debunker Ann Whelan of Gluten-Free Living, which has advisory boards including Dr. Joseph Murray of the Mayo Clinic and Dr. Peter Green as well as dietitians Cynthia Kupper of the Gluten Intolerance Group and Anne Lee) supports the position that vinegars are basically suitable for people on gluten-free diets. I am not aware of any research findings that support the idea that bourbon is unsuitable for a gluten-free diet. There are certainly instances of individuals claiming to have "a reaction" to bourbon and non-malt vinegars as well as other foods...and I do think that individual reports should be taken seriously...but I also think that research findings must be recognized, especially when sharing information through mass media, including newspapers and the Internet. Considering individual reports and years of my own experiences with my understanding of the research, I don't think there is evidence of any gluten in bourbon or, say, white or rice or balsamic vinegar or even spices (as opposed to spice mixes), but I would certainly welcome more research on the subject.]

[And now, after reading the message board of the New York City Celiac Disease Meetup Group, I realize that the article doesn't clearly communicate that there is indeed an active Meetup group in the city. No biggee—I just thought I'd offer the link in case anyone might have an interest.]

DID YOU KNOW? I ate an entire Risotteria cupcake while writing this post!

FOLLOW-UP: GLUTEN-FREE VENDOR FAIR 2007

Now that Erin of Gluten-Free Fun has overcome certain horrific technical difficulties, she's posted a fun slideshow of last month's Gluten-Free Vendor Fair. Welcome back to blogland, Erin!

Other coverage can be found at vendor Mike Eberhart's Gluten Free Blog.

I neglected to mention a bunch of things myself...but...I note that Natural Feast was another vendor who journeyed some distance to attend--from somewhere up in New England!

And remember how I mentioned that Mr. Ritt's was on the move to Millville, New Jersey? This weekend is the official grand opening of the new Garden State site of this gluten-free bakery (at Second and Vine Streets; 856-825-8770), purveyors of assorted baked goodies including sachertorte, linzertorte, cheesecake, and (my favorite) moist cakes with buttercream frosting.

From earlier this year, here's a shot of work on an exterior mural at the bakery's new digs, which for now will be open on weekends and "by appointment."

















Photo courtesy Mr. Ritt's

GLUTEN-FREE MEDIA: TIME OUT NEW YORK

Last month Erin at Gluten-Free Fun wrote that she was a source for an upcoming Time Out New York article on gluten-free beer. Lo and behold, TONY covered gf beer at least twice in March!

In "Out pouring" (Issue 598/March 15-21, 2007), a roundup of favorite wine and beer bars, Kirk Miller cites midtown bar The Ginger Man (11 E. 36 Street between Fifth and Madison Avenues; 212-532-3740) as a source of New Grist Beer.

And in "Barhop" (Issue 597/March 8-14, 2007), TONY tackled the question "Where can I get gluten-free beer?" as posed by Vera Blum of Red Hook, Brooklyn. The magazine's answers: Heathers (506 13th St between Ave A and Ave B, 212 254-0979), Rhythm and Booze (1674 Tenth Ave at Prospect Ave, Windsor Terrace, Brooklyn; 718-788-9699), and the Hook and Ladder Pub (611 Second Ave between 33rd and 34th Sts, 212-213-5034).

But good news, Vera: There's even more gluten-free beer to be found close to your home! Bierkraft in Park Slope (191 Fifth Avenue; 718-230-7600) carries Bard's Tale and New Grist. And according to the Redbridge website, you can quaff the Bud brew at nearby Angry Wade's (224 Smith Street, 718-488-7253) and also get it in Brooklyn at

MET FOOD
486 Henry Street (11231)

AMERICAN BEER DIST. INC.
252 Court St. (11231)

COBBLE HILL MINI MART INC
159 Baltic St. (11201)

COBBLE HEIGHTS DIST.
216 Pacific St. (11201)

KEY FOOD #882
169 Atlantic Ave. (11201)

AMI'S FOOD & DELI CORP
230 4th Avenue (11215)

AROUND THE CLOCK
215 4tb Avenue (11215)

5TH AVENUE FOOD MART
185 5tb Avenue (11217)

EL NUEVO FARO SUPERMARKET
617 5th Avenue (11215)

AROUND THE CLOCK GROCERY
70 4th Avenue (11217)

Cheers!

GLUTEN-FREE COOKING SPREE NYC

Catherine of Gluten Free Guide has done a great job covering the March 2, 2007 Gluten-Free Cooking Spree--here are Part 1 and Part 2. [And here's Part 3!] Jennifer Romolini of jennifer ate offers this item at the foodsite Epicurious, and Erin of Gluten-Free Fun offers this.

So I can add just a little bit, such as my own picture of the meatballs in squid-ink sauce, which really freaked people out but turned out to be top-notch--and it wasn't even in the competition!


















Catherine credits Rice on Lexington with this special dish, which one of the terrific volunteer servers dubbed "food noir" because it was so starkly black-and-white. (This particular server would be perfect for a noir film herself--and I mean that in the most flattering sense.)

I can't comment on all the yummy competing dishes because--unlike the diligent Catherine--I didn't get to sample them all. However, I share her enthusiasm for the entry by Patricia Williams of District: tempura of tilapia with a salad of cucumbers, mango, rice wine vinaigrette, and sesame oil foam. One aromatic whiff of it took me back to the olden days when I traveled through Asia; one crunch of the perfectly delicate batter brought me back to the somewhat more recent time in the past century when I last had tempura.



















Right by Patricia's station was Carrie Levin of Good Enough to Eat. Back in the last century I used to eat at her homey restaurant, but nothing I ate back then made more feel more at home than what she made at the sprue spree: a yummy tilapia chowder made with okra! You can spot a picture at Catherine's blog.

Near the chowder was yet another delish dish: Jehangir Mehta's coriander spiced tilapia with salty chive biscuits and cucumber cumin raita. In case you haven't heard, many tilapia gave their lives to the cause Friday night. Here they are early in Mehta's preparation...



















...and here they are, plated!



















Recipes for these (and other) contest entries--including Brett Reichler's winning "Tortilla" Crusted Free Range Chicken--are here.

What more can I say? It was fun to chat with so many nice people--including "volunteer photographer" Ellen, long-lost Leslie, George of Foods by George, and honoree Dr. Peter Green. And, as far as I could tell, there was only one noteworthy mishap. No, I'm not referring to any of the pans that crashed to the floor, reminding me that chefs are people, too. I'm referring to the containers of GlutenEase that somehow infiltrated our swag bags. This GlutenEase--a product marketed as something that helps one digest gluten and casein--was roundly rejected by the celiacs and top doctors in the gluten-free crowd. Moral of the story: Beware of celiacsploitation!

Oh yes...of course it would be great if all of the participating chefs and restaurants would join GFRAP. You hear that, participating chefs and restaurants? Sign up now!

Find more GFNYC sprue spree coverage here.

Photos: David Marc Fischer

VIDEO: CNN NEWSROOM WITH HEIDI COLLINS



















CNN Newsroom spent just over four minutes covering celiac disease on Monday morning, March 5, 2007. The video is already online at the website of the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness (NFCA). You can find the transcript about halfway down this page.

The segment, hosted by CNN anchor and NFCA spokesperson Heidi Collins basically consisted of two subsections plus newsroom banter.

The first subsection, presented by CNN's medical correespondent Judy Fortin, covered Virginia Brookhart and the effect of celiac disease on her family, with medical commentary from Dr. Cynthia Rudert. Some of the outstanding points: Celiac disease is a common ailment that is very commonly misdiagnosed or undiagnosed; it can be mistaken for other conditioons (such as spastic colon and Irritable Bowel Syndrome); the condition runs through families, so it is not unusual for more than one family member to have it; treatment with the gluten-free diet often yields very good results.

The second subsection covered Friday's NFCA Gluten-Free Cooking Spree, with footage of competing chefs Carrie Levin, Ralph Pagano, and Jehangir Mehta. [NOTE: My original post incorrectly stated that Pagano was the winner; the winner was actually Brett Reichler.]

Collins seemed very happy with the event. An interesting aspect of the newsroom banter was how it touched on celiac disease and the gluten-free diet being unfamiliar to many people, including those in the food industry. Food for thought: There was more than one reference to "gluten-free" not being an especially "delicious-sounding" label for foods.

For more coverage of the NFCA Gluten-Free Cooking Spree, click here and check out Gluten Free Guide and Gluten-Free Fun.

GFRAP UPDATE: JANICE RETURNS, YAZOO GOES

Just over a year ago, the Suffolk County restaurant Yazoo City joined the roster of the Gluten-Free Restaurant Awareness Program (GFRAP). Now I've just gotten word that Yazoo City went out of business at the end of January. Yazoo, we hardly knew you--boo-hoo!

But such is the way of GFRAP--so much effort can go into bringing a restaurant aboard...and then any number of setbacks can knock it off the approved list.

Fortunately, some restaurants do make comebacks. Bloom's closed due to a fire, but now it has reopened and returned to the list. More recently, New Jersey's Janice: A Bistro returned to the roster, too.

One of the very first GFRAP restaurants--Manhattan's beloved Gus's Place--closed its doors in 2004 but reopened weeks ago in a more central Greenwich Village location. Judging from what Erin at Gluten-Free Fun has written, I'm optimistic that I'll see Gus's Place back on the GFRAP roster soon....

HAPPY HOUR(S) AT HEATHERS

It wasn't just the two-for-one gluten-free cider and beers that made last night's Happy Hour(s) at Heathers a pleasure--it was the gluten-free company that led me to stay later than I'd planned. Thanks to Erin of the NYCCD Meetup Group for the effort she put into the event--and thanks to my other conversation partners for the stimulating talk, which branched out unexpectedly from celiac matters to Northern Baroque Art--and beyond! I look forward to the next Bosch--I mean, bash!

Oh--kudos on the good behavior, too. The talk and music inside the bar were at very reasonable levels, and things were quiet when I was outside.

Here's the sign outside the bar.
















Photo: David Marc Fischer